


You Belong with Me

by a1_kitkat



Category: Westlife
Genre: First Kiss, High School, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-22
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 15:11:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3213710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-Westlife</p>
<p>Mark, Shane and Kian are in high school. Shane is dating Kian's cousin Gillian but Mark is secretly in love with Shane</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Belong with Me

Can't you see  
That I'm the one  
Who understands you  
Been here all along  
So why can't you see?  
You belong with me.

Have you ever thought  
Just maybe  
You belong with me?

**--**--**--**

Mark watched Shane out the corner of his eye. The older lad was cradling the phone to his ear while idly flicking through a magazine. He was leaning back against the pillows at the head of the bed, one leg stretched out with the other tucked under his body. Mark was lying beside him; they had been sharing the same pillow and reading the one textbook… until the phone had rung.

Shane gently tapped Mark’s shoulder and pointed to the open magazine. Mark looked at what Shane was showing him but it was difficult to concentrate. Their faces were so close together…. But he could hear Her voice coming from the phone. He tried not to glare but for fuck’s sake, she wasn’t even in the room and she was still finding a way to be annoying.  
He heard Shane laugh and he dared to look up at the brunette. The second their eyes met, Shane’s laugh died in his throat and he became very solemn.

“No, Gill… I wasn’t laughing at you” Shane attempted to reassure her. “I swear… I mean, it was just a joke… Okay… Yeah… Not a very funny one”  
Mark held back a snigger. Personally, he’d felt it was a hilarious joke… Made even funnier by the fact that Gillian had been too stuck up, bitchy, annoying, infuriating and not to mention stupid to get it.  
Shane tossed the magazine aside and sat up. His complete attention was now focused on the phone… and Her.

Now that Shane had moved away, Mark reached over and adjusted the volume on the radio. He loved this song and he wasn’t going to miss hearing it because of Her.  
The rise in volume caught Shane’s attention and he began to mine the lyrics along with Mark. They grinned at each other while they sang.

Then Shane stopped.  
“I told you” he tried to explain. “Mark’s here… We’re studying for our Chemistry test tomorrow… Tomorrow *is* Wednesday… Mark’s a guest in my house and he can listen to whatever music he wants”

Mark shifted his position and casually turned the page in the textbook. He tried not to appear uncomfortable but it was slightly awkward… Shane was barely two feet away from him, on the phone to his girlfriend and they were talking about him.  
He really didn’t understand Shane and Gillian’s relationship. He wasn’t even sure how it classed as a ‘relationship’. From what he could determine, Gillian allowed Shane to be her boyfriend provided that he did everything she asked of him but asked for nothing in return.  
Sure, they went out on dates… But only when she wanted and they only went where she wanted to go… And most of the time it was wherever her friends were.

Mark couldn’t help thinking that Shane was merely her ‘arm candy’. Gillian didn’t have any real feelings for Shane… She just wanted to have the best looking boyfriend of all her friends. Shane wasn’t a jock but he was clearly one of the best looking lads at school.

He peered at the clock and realized that if he didn’t leave now then he wouldn’t get any studying done for the rest of the night. He closed the textbook and slid off the bed. Mark picked up his bag and was heading for the door before Shane even realized the younger lad had moved. 

“Where are you going?” Shane asked him.  
“Home” Mark replied. “To study… I’ll see you tomorrow, Shane”

“Yeah, I’m still here Gill” Shane said into the phone. His eyes were still locked on Mark’s as he said “yes, of course you have my complete, undivided attention”  
Mark gave a small wave then left the room, closing the door behind him as he went. Despite the door being closed, and Mark no longer able to see him, Shane waved back. His attention no longer on Gillian but focused on the fact that Mark had almost left without even saying goodbye.

**--**

Shane ran up the bleachers, making excellent time for someone who wasn’t (and never would be) a jock. He reached his friends and sat down beside Kian. The younger boy was munching on an open packet of crisps, Shane reached out and snatched a crisp from him.

“So, how did your test go?” Kian asked Shane.  
“Pretty sure I failed” Shane replied as he reached for another crisp. “Since my study-buddy bailed on me yesterday”  
“I didn’t bail” Mark interjected. “You’d been on the phone for like half an hour and I needed to concentrate”  
“You pass everything” Shane replied.  
“Because I study” Mark stated.

“Looks like practice is starting” Kian spoke up. “I’d better get down there”  
Kian jumped up and hurried down the bleachers.

“How exactly is practice starting with only three players?” Mark asked Shane.  
“I think you’ll find the cheer squad has arrived” Shane replied.

True enough, Kian had now joined the group of girls hanging around, waiting for the team to start training.  
“You’d think they’d just make their own uniforms and declare themselves cheerleaders” Mark said.  
“I’m all for that” Shane grinned. “Especially if Kian’s cousin declares herself captain”  
“Kian’s cousin” Mark paused. “Don’t you mean your girlfriend?”  
“Same difference” Shane shrugged.

Mark stared at the group of girls, all fawning over Kian and his team mates. Given how they were dressed, they were only a few pom poms short of being actual cheerleaders anyway. He wasn’t sure what surprised him more, that people actually *made* skirts that short or that these girls got away with wearing them to school.  
Mark had never had a girlfriend himself so he’d never really paid much attention to how slutty girls at their school enjoyed dressing.

Gillian finally looked up and saw the two of them sitting on the bleachers. She smiled then waved her arm, indicating for Shane to go to her. Mark opened his mouth to say something but Shane was already on his feet, hurrying down to meet her.  
Then they were kissing and Mark couldn’t tear his eyes away. It wasn’t the kind of thing he wanted to be staring at but he couldn’t help himself. 

He felt his hand closing into a fist… The anger inside him was rising and if he wasn’t careful, he would lose control of it. It took all of his willpower not to climb to his feet, march down to the couple and forcefully separate them… Then he would tell Gillian that she was a selfish, stuck up bitch who didn’t deserve someone as amazingly kind, sweet and beautiful as Shane before wrapping his arms around the older lad and kissing him... Right there for the entire football team to see!  
Then, of course, Gillian would simply laugh. Shane would push him away in disgust and never speak to him ever again. The football team would beat him up, egged on by Kian who would also hate him for being a fag.

And that’s why Mark simply sat there and watched as Shane kissed Gillian… He tortured himself for a few moments before slowly averting his eyes. He was happy it was sunny out, as he blinked back tears, he could blame the glare (if anyone asked). The brunette sat there for quite some time; Kian and his team mates took to the field and began their practise but Shane was still occupied with Gillian.  
Mark sighed then picked up his bag. He walked down the bleachers, past Shane and Gillian and continued along the field. His eyes were down the entire time and he kept walking. He wondered how long it would take for Shane to notice he was gone then he pushed the thought aside… He shouldn’t care. It’s not like Shane would ever leave Gillian for him. Or if Shane would leave Gillian at all.  
By the time Mark reached the main road, the tears were spilling down his cheeks and no matter what he tried, nothing could stop them.

*

The next morning when Mark stepped out the front door of his house, he spotted Shane at the end of the drive. He stopped and blinked his eyes in confusion.

“Hey Mark” Shane greeted him.  
“Shane?” Mark replied as he approached the older lad. “What are you doing here?”  
“Walking to school… What else would I be doing here?”  
“Uh… We don’t usually walk together, y’know? since we live in opposite directions”

“Are you mad at me?” Shane cut right to the chase.  
“What? Why would I…?” Mark hoisted his bag onto his shoulder as he started walking. Shane quickly fell instep beside him.  
“The other night, you walked out while we were studying then yesterday you left me at school without even saying goodbye”  
“You seemed busy”  
“I’m never too busy for you, Mark”

When the younger boy didn’t respond, Shane looked down at the ground. They walked for some time in silence, neither one of them knowing what to say to the other. It struck Mark as odd… Neither of them were talking but there was nothing awkward about their silence. It was almost comfortable… Until…

“It’s Gillian, isn’t it?” Shane spoke up. “You don’t like her”  
“I never said-” Mark began.  
“You don’t have to… I know you, Mark and I can see that you don’t like her”  
“I’m sorry, I can’t help it, okay?”  
“She’s my girlfriend, Mark. You could make an effort”  
“Why should I? She doesn’t”

“Mark-” Shane started to say.  
“No, I’m serious Shane… Can’t you see that she’s just using you?” Mark interrupted. “This entire ‘relationship’ that the two of you supposedly have… it’s all one sided. She doesn’t love you, she just loves having you. You’re one of the best looking lads at school and she’s one of the most popular girls… She’s not stupid, either. She knows how high school works. Gillian’s got you wrapped around her little finger and you’re too smitten to see it”  
“Gee, why don’t you tell me what you really think?”

He heard the sarcasm in his friend’s voice but he didn’t stop.  
“Fine… I think she is the most stuck up bitch I’ve ever met and I can’t see how she can possibly be any relation to Kian at all given how much of a condescending cow she is” Mark paused. “She’s manipulative and doesn’t give a flying fuck about you but you’re too naïve and only see the good in people”  
He stopped. School was only a few blocks away now.  
“Why can’t you see that she’s sucking the life out of you? You’re miserable when you’re around her, unless you’ve got your tongue down her throat… And does that make it all okay then? You say you’re ‘okay’ and that you love being with her but is that just because you get to feel her up? How far has she let you go anyway?”  
“I… That’s none of your business”  
“I know… And it’s because you and I are such good friends that I can’t say any of what I just said to you” 

Mark looked both ways, saw no traffic on the road and hurried to cross the street. He left Shane standing on the corner and didn’t look back. All the while, he felt awful inside. He hadn’t meant to say what he had and he feared Shane wouldn’t forgive him anytime soon but he couldn’t take it back now. The brunette decided he’d have to do his best to avoid Shane all day then find a way to apologise later.

*

Shane remained where he was for a long time. He watched as Mark ran away from him and once the younger boy was out of sight, he sank down to the ground and sat down in the gutter. Other students walked past him, running late for school, but none of them stopped to ask him if he was okay. He heard the bell ring but he remained where he was. Mark’s words echoed about in his head for a long time.  
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there but when he finally got up, he didn’t head towards school instead he ran away from it. Shane ran as fast as he could and as far as he dared. Perhaps it wasn’t the most mature thing to do but he wasn’t sure what else to do. There was no way he could go to school and face Mark or Gillian.

The brunette ran all the way home then waited until his mother left for work before unlocking the door and going inside. He hurried up to his room and threw himself down on the bed. Shane promised himself that he wouldn’t cry. Surely there was no reason to cry… Mark’s words hadn’t been true… Had they?

*

Mark didn’t see Shane at school that day. The older boy didn’t turn up to any classes and when Mark asked Kian if he’d seen Shane at all, his friend said no. By lunch Mark even went up to Gillian and asked her if she’d seen him. She’d simply looked down at her nose at Mark and said no.

The brunette cut out of school before the end of the day. He felt bad for what he’d said to Shane and wanted to go look for him. He knew all of Shane’s favourite hang outs but he also knew where Shane would go at a time like this. Mark took a shortcut from the school and made his way to Shane’s house. When he approached from the street, nothing appeared out of place but he knew that Shane wouldn’t be advertising the fact that he was cutting school.

Mark made his way around the back of the house with the intention of sneaking in through the back door. Once he was on the back porch, however, he couldn’t bring himself to go inside. He stood by the back door for sometime, trying to decide if he should knock or just go right in. Eventually, he reached into his bag and pulled out a pen and paper. He wrote a hasty note then slipped it under the back door, hoping Shane would find it before anyone else came home.  
Then Mark admitted defeat and left.

*

There wasn’t much else for him to do so Mark went home and started on his homework. This proved rather difficult since he was finding it near impossible to concentrate. He’d hoped Shane would have found his note by now and called him but no such luck. The brunette spent more time staring at the clock than he did focusing on homework.  
By the time his parents came home, he was nearly beside himself. What if Shane didn’t forgive him? What would he do then? Shane was his best friend and he loved him with all his heart. He couldn’t imagine how he would get through the rest of the year at school, not to mention college without Shane by his side. Shane’s friendship meant the world to him and he couldn’t bare thinking he’d blown it all over his jealousy.

Needless to say, Mark didn’t get much studying done nor did he eat much dinner that night. He told his parents he didn’t feel very well and excused himself from the table. Mark went up to his room to lie down but was interrupted not ten minutes later by a knock at the door.

“Mark, honey” his mother said as she pushed the door open a crack. “I know you’re not feeling well by you’ve got a visitor”  
“Who?” Mark was almost afraid to ask. What if Shane had sent Kian around to straighten him out?  
“It’s Shane, sweetheart… He seems a little upset about something”  
“He does? Send him in, please”

She disappeared then a moment later, Mark could hear Shane’s footsteps on the staircase. He turned the light on and tried to straighten the duvet. The last thing he wanted was for Shane to think he’d been moping about on his bed… Even if he had been.  
The second he saw Shane, he realized the older lad had been crying but he told himself not to draw attention to it.

“Hey Mark” Shane greeted him. He sounded nervous.  
“Hey” Mark replied. His own voice sounded off to his own ears. 

“Shane, I’m sorry” Mark began. “I never should have…”  
“I know” Shane cut him off. “I got your note”   
The older lad reached into his pocket and pulled out the hand written note.

“Dear Shane, Sorry if I sounded like a jealous jerk, Mark” Shane read it aloud.  
“I wanted to keep it short” Mark replied.  
“I was kinda confused…”  
“Why?”  
“Your note was… I don’t really understand why you would be jealous or why you were apologizing. Mark, I should be the one apologizing to you”  
“No, what I said was mean and rude and I never should have-”

Shane waved his hand to silence his friend. He walked over to Mark’s desk and sat down in the chair.  
“I didn’t react well to what you said” Shane confessed. “I skipped class and went home… And I spent the whole day thinking about everything”  
“Shay, I never meant to upset you”  
“You didn’t… It was just, to be honest… it was a bit of a wake up call”

Shane averted his eyes and stared down at his hands.  
“You were honest with me today and I think it’s only fair that I repay the favour” Shane said. He still wouldn’t look at his friend. “You were right… about me and Gillian. She doesn’t treat me fairly and I let her get away with it… She’s a right bitch at times and she doesn’t care about me but I don’t really care about her either”  
The brunette paused then began to pick at his nails.  
“We live in a small town… People talk… I didn’t want anyone to know I was different. So, when Gill showed interest in me, I went along with it… But, in a way, I was glad that she wasn’t fair to me… She never pushed me for anything more… I’m not sure if she knows and that’s why she chose me but…” Shane was starting to stammer.

Mark shifted his position on the bed, moving closer to Shane. He reached out and placed his hand on top of his friend’s.  
“Mark…” Shane said, looking up to meet the younger lad’s eyes. “You’re the only person I’ve ever said this to”   
“Said what?” Mark whispered. He stared into his friend’s terrified, tear filled eyes. His own orbs were filled with concern. “Shane, I’ll be honest… You’re kinda starting to scare me”

“I didn’t think it would be this hard” Shane reached up with his free hand and gently rubbed his eyes.  
“Shane?” Mark began. His voice was low and very serious. “Did you steal a candy bar from the grocery store again?”  
The older lad burst out laughing and shook his head.  
“Come on, Marky… I was like seven” Shane replied. He laughed again. “You always know the right thing to say, don’t you?”  
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you…”

Shane was still holding Mark’s hand. He placed his other hand upon their entwined fingers and gently squeezed it. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. Shane held Mark’s gaze as he spoke.  
“Mark… I’m gay”

For a moment, neither one of them spoke. Shane had closed his eyes and wouldn’t look at Mark. The younger lad didn’t react at all. At first he thought he must have misheard his friend. Then his mind told him that he had only imagined it… That there was no way Shane would have said those words.

“Mark?” Shane whispered. “Please say something”

“Is that all?” Mark said the first thing that came to mind.

Shane’s eyes flew open and he stared at the younger brunette in horror.  
“What?” Shane gasped. He tried to pull his hand away from Mark’s. “That’s all you…?”  
“Shane, no… Please? Calm down… I didn’t mean….”

The older boy was already on his feet and heading towards the door. He’d trusted his friend with his biggest secret; his greatest fear and this was how Mark reacted? He had to get out of there. He needed to get away, take it back and pretend this had never happened.

“Shane… Stop!” Mark insisted.  
The younger boy leapt to his feet and crossed the room. Shane was reaching for the doorknob but Mark cut him off, placing himself between Shane and the door.  
“No… I never should have…” Shane stammered. He looked down at the ground.  
“Shane, please?” Mark begged. “Please, just stop!”

“I’m sorry” He continued. “I’m sorry if I didn’t react the way you wanted me to but… I thought you were going to tell me something really bad”  
“I’m gay, Mark… How much worse can it get?”

He could see the tears in Shane’s eyes. Mark reached up and placed his hands on either side of Shane’s face, forcing his friend to look at him. He stared into Shane’s eyes.  
“Shane, there is nothing wrong with you being gay” Mark insisted. “There is nothing wrong with you and things *can* be much worse than just that”  
“And how would you know?”

Mark wasn’t sure what came over him. One minute he was staring into Shane’s tear filled eyes and the next he was kissing him…like he’d never been kissed before. At first, Shane didn’t react. He was taken completely by surprise and froze in shock. Then he felt Mark’s tongue pressing against his lips and he found himself submitting. His lips parted and Mark’s tongue was invading his mouth. Shane could barely breath, barely think… But his body was reacting and he found himself wrapping his arms around his friend.  
The embrace was short; too short for Shane’s liking as Mark pulled away. The younger lad kept his hands on Shane’s body. They were both panting for breath as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for months” Mark confessed.  
“How did you… How long have you known about me?” Shane asked.  
“I had no idea, Shay… I just, I just know how I felt and I’ve spent months wishing and dreaming that one day…”  
“That’s why you called yourself a jealous jerk… All this time, the reason you never liked Gill was because you were jealous?”  
Mark nodded his head.  
“I knew I’d never have the guts to tell you how I felt. I tried to repress it but…” Mark paused. “She was a bitch to you anyway”

“She was” Shane admitted. “I was only using her for the make-out sessions anyway. Which were no where near as much fun as…”  
He trailed off but Mark knew what he was referring to. The younger lad took the hint and leaned forward, bringing their lips together once again. This time Mark started to move forward, pushing Shane back towards the bed. The two of them fell down, landing on top of the mattress.

“Wait” Shane broke the kiss, gently pushing Mark away.  
“What?” Mark asked. “What’s wrong?”  
“We can’t do this…”  
“Shane?”

The older boy reached down, slid his hand into his pocket and retrieved his phone. He scrolled through the numbers until he found the one he was looking for and dialled. Mark was still lying on top of Shane; he stared down at the older boy with a look of confusion on his face.

“Hey Gill, it’s me” Shane began. He smiled up at Mark then mouthed the word ‘voicemail’. “Listen, I’ve been thinking and… yeah, we’re breaking up… Right now, actually… So, give my best to Kian and your family… And I know it won’t be long before you find some other lad to boss around, no hard feelings… Guess I’ll see you around”  
He ended the call then tossed the phone aside before wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck.

“Now… Where were we?” Shane asked.  
“You broke up with her voicemail?” Mark was dumbfounded.  
“I’m not a cheater, Mark… And I’m not going to let her come between us, not anymore… I hope you can understand-”  
“Of course I get it, Shay”  
“Sometimes… I can’t help feeling that you… You understand me even better that I do myself”  
“If I were a romantic, I’d say it’s a sign that we belong together”  
“Since when are you not a romantic?”

“Shane?” Mark began. “That’s enough talking for now”  
He smiled down at his friend before closing the gap between them. His lips found Shane’s and his entire body began to tingle.   
It was actually happening. Not only was Shane lying on his bed, he was lying in Mark’s arms. It was better than any dream or fantasy he’d ever had about his friend. 

“Mark?” Shane whispered.  
“Mmmmm?” Mark’s lips moved from Shane’s lips to his neck.  
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth sooner”  
“So am I”  
“How long would you have waited for me?”  
“As long as I had to…” Mark paused. “You were right; I guess I’m a romantic after all”

The younger boy’s eyes suddenly lit up. He leapt off the bed and walked over to the bedroom door. He made his way down the stairs and located his mother. Shane walked to the top of the stairs, straining to hear what Mark was up to.

“Mam” Mark said. “I know its short notice but can Shane stay over? We have a big test tomorrow and want to get some studying done tonight”  
“Of course, sweetie” she replied. “Just make sure he calls his parents and lets them know”  
“Thanks”  
“I’ll see you lads in the morning then”  
“Night mam”

Mark turned on his heel and started up the stairs. He saw Shane grinning down at him.  
“Mark?” his mother called out.  
“Yes?” Mark replied.  
“What are you studying tonight?”  
“Biology”  
“Oooooh, a tough one… Well, you two put your heads together and study hard”  
“We will”  
“We’ll be as thorough as possible” Shane whispered in Mark’s ear as his friend reached the top of the stairs.

Shane grabbed Mark’s hand and pulled the younger lad into his bedroom, pushing the door shut behind them. As he leaned forward to kiss Mark, his friend stopped him.  
“You do know there really is a test tomorrow, right?” Mark asked him.  
“And you realize we won’t be doing any serious studying for it, right?” Shane replied.

For the first time in his life, Mark didn’t care. He’d happily fail one test in exchange for all his dreams coming true at once.  
“The only subject I want to get straight A’s in… is you” Mark whispered.  
Shane’s smile quickly became a laugh. He tried to hold it back but failed, his entire body trembling. Mark stared at him in hurt confusion.  
“Why are you laughing?” he asked.  
“I… I’m sorry” Shane was now wincing. “I just, I thought you said you were a romantic because that line was…”  
“I thought I was being sweet?”

Shane closed his eyes and shook his head. He looked up, opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around Mark’s neck.  
“For someone so smart… You sure can be cheesy” Shane whispered before kissing the younger boy’s lips.  
Mark narrowed his eyes, his mouth forming a pout. Shane knew his friend too well to know that he wasn’t really offended by what he’d just said. He decided the best way to handle it was to make it up to Mark in a way that would make him very happy.

With his arms still around Mark, he pulled his friend towards him as he stepped back, moving across the room. They both collapsed on Mark’s bed, Shane was still giggling but the sound brought a smile to Mark’s lips. He stared down at Shane, whose body was now trapped beneath his, then leaned down and kissed him. Shane immediately turned serious, his lips parting to welcome Mark’s eager tongue. The next few minutes passed in silence as they exchanged tender kisses. They had the entire night ahead of them and Mark didn’t want to waste a single second. He closed his eyes and slowly trailed his hand down Shane’s chest. 

He had much ‘studying’ to do and now was the perfect time to start.


End file.
